Campus Sustainability Planning & Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus

Want to share your thoughts, visions, and project ideas related to sustainability at UCSC? The Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus and the Campus Sustainability Plan are two campus-wide sustainability goal and vision documents that are currently being updated, and input is needed from everyone for both plans.

The Campus Sustainability Plan is a document that identifies goals for UCSC to incorporate sustainability into all aspects of campus operations. Each topic area has targeted goals for the coming years, and it is time to revisit and update the document so we are seeking input from staff, faculty, and students. If you are interested in getting involved, please email Elida Erickson at ekericks(at)ucsc.edu. Click here to view the Campus Sustainability Plan.

The Blueprint for a Sustainable Campus is overseen Student Environmental Center, and it is a document encompassing current visions of students, faculty, staff, and community members who share their ideas and goals for the future of UCSC during a series of Blueprint Breakout sessions throughout the year, culminating with the Earth Summit event in spring. There will be two Blueprint Breakout sessions this month on November 14 and 28 in the College 8 Red Room from 5:30-8:00 PM, and staff, faculty, and students are encouraged to attend and provide input. Find out more about the Blueprint and view past versions here, and to find out more about the topics of upcoming sessions, please view our calendar and scroll to November 14 and 28. For more information, please contact Katie Lippus at klippus(at)ucsc.edu.

UCSC Students Committed to Sustainability

A team of four UCSC students competing in Project Green Challenge, a global eco-challenge in October, consistently ranked among the top twenty of participants (out of 2484 total) for their engagement in daily challenges that encouraged sustainable behavior change. Students read about each day's sustainability theme, reflected on what they learned, and then acted upon it, uploading photos, write-ups, videos, and more to the challenge website to earn points for engagement and creativity.

Chad Oliver, a second year environmental studies/ecology and evolution major who helped organized the BananaSlugs team poses with some locally grown fruit at the UCSC Chadwick Garden during a challenge for Project Green Challenge. His team won many of the daily challenges and was ranked among the top twenty challenge participants throughout October. 

Almost 50 students and 1 staff member affiliated with UCSC signed up for the challenge this year. UCSC is one of 460 schools participating this year, and this total includes representation from 49 U.S. states and 33 countries around the world. Most participants we spoke with at UCSC said they struggled to participate daily because of the time commitment, but many participated by reading the information provided and reflecting on it during the day.

"Being a college student I am often limited on time, so I found it helpful to browse the project sites of the challenge winners," said Darya Soofi, an senior environmental studies major and the Waste Prevention Coordinator for Student Environmental Center. "This gave me a chance to learn about the specific challenge and stay involved."

One group of students, UCSC Team BananaSlugs, worked actively to participate every day, combining team members' efforts to upload content that was creative enough that they placed among the top twenty of participating teams.

The challenge itself presented a motivating opportunity to participate in something larger than one's isolated personal actions, and the sense of competition was fun. By providing information about sustainability issues each day, the Challenge motivated BananaSlugs team member Kilee Forbes, a junior transfer environmental studies/bio double major, to make a lifestyle change. "This has changed how I look at things, and it convinced me to go vegetarian," she said. "My family has an organic garden and we raise animals, but I wasn't fully aware of what farming does on a large scale."

How we connect with the world around us and find reasons to lead more conscious lives is a journey that anyone looking to be more sustainable must take. To start that journey, challenge yourself to take small steps that are meaningful to you. And tell us about it! What are you doing to make small but important changes in your life? We'd love to hear from you!
Project Green Challenge is over for this year, but the UCSC Simply Committed campaign will continue throughout the year. How will you Simply Commit to sustainability? It starts with one tangible, measurable, and specific commitment that has meaning to you. To see some examples of commitments that have been made at UCSC, please visit our Facebook photo albums.

Green Tip #7: Ride-sharing and Public Transportation

November is here--do you know how you are getting home for Thanksgiving? Ride-sharing is a great way to get home without using a personal car, saving you money and reducing your pollution. Zimride is a website that posts rides for UCSC students, and all you have to do is pitch in for gas! If you have a car you can post your ride and Zimride can help you get people to pitch in for gas. It's a great way for travelers to reduce their carbon footprint. Zimride is available throughout the year so it can be helpful when going home for a weekend. During the month of November, Zimride is raffling off a new iPad to those who add a ride as either a passenger or a driver. For more information click here.

Are you trying to get to Los Angeles/Orange County for Thanksgiving and or Winter Break? The UCSC Recreation Department is offering a LA Turkey Express bus for Thanksgiving that leaves Wednesday, November 21 at noon and returns to Santa Cruz on Sunday, November 25. There is also a LA Polar Express that leaves on Thursday, December 13 at noon and returns Sunday, January 6. For more information click here.

Another great resource for heading up to San Jose (where there's a train station and airport that can take you elsewhere) is the 17 Express. This bus leaves from the local metro station in Santa Cruz. For only 5 dollars you can ride to San Jose. For a full bus schedule click here.

While we are talking about transportation here are some other great resources:

• Rent a car with friends and use Zipcar
• Bike library click here.
• Bike shuttle click here.

How do you travel? What's your favorite form of public transit? Post in the comments!

November 2012: Innovative Approaches to Sustainability at Other Campuses

Here are a few selections of the innovative approaches to sustainability taking place on other college campuses. Each of these examples was chosen because it's something that UCSC could potentially implement in some form. If you see something here that you want to make a reality at UCSC, contact the Sustainability Office and we will help you direct your ideas toward fruition!

DePauw University pilots free bike rental program 

UCSC has a bike library from which you can borrow a bike for the quarter. Wouldn't it be cool if we also had a bike rental program so you could rent a bike for the day or a weekend?

DePauw University of Greencastle, Indiana, is piloting a free community bike rental program in an effort to discourage students, faculty, staff, and visitors from using cars on campus. Starting off with a fleet of 20 bicycles, rentals will be available to all on a 24/7 basis. Did you know UCSC has a bike library? Students, staff, and faculty can borrow a bike for the quarter by filling out an application. Learn more about the UCSC Bike Library here.

Replacing "Trash" Label with "Landfill" at Princeton
In an effort to change recycling behavior, Building Services have replaced “Trash” labels on disposal bins with “Landfill” labels. The university hopes the change in labels will encourage students to think more carefully about their consumption choices. Building Services, the Office of Sustainability and Green Leaders will be gauging the results of this program and its potential effects on disposal over the next few months. Does seeing the word "landfill" give you more pause than the word "trash"? Tell us what makes you think twice about waste and recycling in the comments below.

November 2012: Classes, Training, & Community

ESLP Seeking Facilitators 

Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) is looking for facilitators interested in developing a class focused on environmental sustainability, social justice, and project-based education. Previous classes have included topics such as permaculture, green building, environmental art, aquaponics, waste prevention, and many more. All majors welcome. To get involved, send them an email.

Join the Kresge Natural Foods Co-op
The Kresge Community Natural Foods Co-op is a non-profit student-run food store located on the south side of Kresge College. It has been a Kresge College tradition for over twenty years, supporting small farmers, the UCSC Farm Project, and the Kresge Organic Garden. While anyone can buy food at the Food Co-op, members receive a discount. The Co-op operates as a collective and a variety of membership options are available. Special pricing is available on bulk orders. Come in for groceries, lunch, snacks, hot coffee, tea, or just to spend time with your friends.

To contact the Food Co-op, call 426-1506, or attend the bi-weekly meetings every other Sunday at 11 am in the Student Lounge. (Hours: Weekdays 9 AM - 6 PM)

Drop Your Own Drip (DYOD) has found a new home!
The 2012 Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) 5-unit class project has been adopted by the Student Environmental Center (SEC). That means that there are exciting new ways to earn credit through the the ENVS department and be involved with facilitating the annual campus-wide water-use competition. Interested? Check us DYOD out online here and find out how you can get involved by emailing the new Organizer, Sarah Angulo.

Heard about other sustainability related classes, trainings, or community opportunities around Santa Cruz or the campus? Post in the comments!

November 2012: News & Achievements

TAPS installs new bike maintenance stations on campus

A UCSC student demonstrates use of the newest TAPS "Fix-It" bike maintenance station. Read more about bike-related news below.

The Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) recently installed the first public self-service bike maintenance station at UCSC. The first of many to come, the new station is located at OPERS and includes a tire pump and eight tools necessary to perform basic repairs and maintenance. The Quick Read (QR) code on the front of the Fixit Station provides detailed instructions through your smart phone on how to make repairs. The stations are free to all and are available 24/7. For more information, contact Teresa Buika at tabuika@ucsc.edu. View photos of the stations on our Facebook page here.

UCSC awarded $4.5 million NSF grant for renewable energy research and education

Researchers at UCSC (in conjunction with researchers at UC Davis and two international universities) recently received a $4.5 million, 5-year grant to fund a sustainable energy study. The study will focus on the use of microgrids for energy production at the community level, and will fund opportunities for UCSC engineering students to work at the institutions that share the grant. Read about one of the researchers, Professor Isaacson, in this month's sustainability profile here.

UCSC PowerSave Green Campus Yearly Summary
UCSC's PowerSave Green Campus Program works on energy efficiency and water conservation projects throughout the campus. Check out some of their metrics showing the impact they've made in the last year:

Total kWh (kilowatt hours) savings: 1,609,339.50 kWh
Total Potential savings: 1,988,131.95 kWh

Total CO2 lbs savings: 843,293.9 lbs
Total potential savings: 1,121,097.3 lbs

Total $ savings: $209,214.14
Total potenital savings: $265,474.85
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       See the PowerSave Green Campus Facebook page or website for more information.

What are your thoughts about this month's news? What are you most proud of related to campus sustainability at UCSC? What do you want to see happen here? Post in the comments! 

November 2012 Sustainability Profile: Professor Michael Isaacson

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. This month's profile features Professor Michael Isaacson, Narinder Singh Kapany professor of Electrical Engineering at UC Santa Cruz.

Professor Isaacson is the principle investigator of the Sustainable Engineering and Ecological Design (SEED) research program at UCSC, which recently received a five-year $4.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation to fund clean energy research and educational programs.

Professor Michael Isaacson and fellow researchers were recently awarded a five-year $4.5 million grant to fund clean energy research and educational programs. 

We asked Professor Isaacson a series of questions to get a better sense of his perspectives on sustainability and understand better how sustainability relates to his role at UCSC.

Name: Michael Isaacson
Title: Narinder Singh Kapany professor of Electrical Engineering
Education: B.S. Eng. Physics from University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, 1961-66 and MS, PhD. Physics from University of Chicago, 1966-71
Favorite Green Tips: Think about how much additional energy you use when you send a text message, or email as opposed to talking face to face.
What does "sustainability" mean to you? Developing local renewable energy power plants for community scale heating and cooling thus reducing the need for the inefficiencies and expensive infrastructure needed to transmit energy over long distances.
How does sustainability relate to your role at UCSC? We (the faculty that are part of the SEED program [Sustainable Engineering and Ecological Design]) are trying to put sustainability on a quantitative scale, so that measures of sustainability are not based upon opinion or anecdote, but on real scientifically based fact.
How do you practice sustainability in your daily life? Turning off the lights when leaving a room. Unplugging appliances that aren't being used.

To read more about the research grant and the work of Professor Isaacson and the SEED program, please read this article from the Santa Cruz Sentinel. If you want to learn more about Professor Isaacson's work or contact him, please visit his page on the Jack Baskin School of Engineering website here.

November 2012: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Seeking Sustainability Theater Arts Consultant: Apply immediately!

The Sustainability Theater Consultant will work with the Sustainability Office's Education & Outreach Team this year to develop a 3-5 minute theatrical sustainability skit to perform for the freshman core classes in order to educate students about sustainability at UCSC and encourage them to get involved and thinking about sustainability in their own lives. Theater experience including directing, performing, and writing required, and experience working with other students who have little-to-no theater experience is ideal. Strong organizational skills required. No knowledge of sustainability or environmental studies necessary, but an interest in learning about sustainability and promoting it to the campus is important. Estimated 10-15 hours/week, competitive pay.

Send your resume and letter of interest to Shauna Casey at scasey(at)ucsc.edu. Be sure to note the position title you are applying for in the subject line of your email.

Get Involved with the Campus Sustainability Plan

Since 2010, working groups of staff and students have identified environmental targets for UCSC in eight topic areas: Buildings & Facilities, Energy, Food, Land & Habitat, Procurement & Business Contracts, Transportation, Waste, and Water. Now, it's time for UCSC to create a new Campus Sustainability Plan 2.0 for the years 2013-16 (see the original plan here)! To get involved in the planning process and help create the next set of environmental performance targets for UCSC, view the schedule of workshops or email Elida Erickson.

Help UCSC Take Back the Tap
Take Back the Tap strives to eliminate the sale of single use water bottles on the UCSC campus to advocate for access to clean water worldwide and reduce waste. If you're interested in getting involved or have any questions please visit the website, Facebook page, or send an email.

Call for Volunteers: Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, taking place November 14-16 in San Francisco. If you are a full-time student or professional age 25 and under, volunteer and attend for free! For more information visit the website or click here to send an email.

Volunteer at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Interested in gardening, habitat restoration, tidepooling, maintaining exhibits and helping at events for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History? Volunteer today! Find out more and fill out an application here or email Matt.

Environmental Education for the Next Generation (EENG) Seeking Instructors

EENG provides free, youth-led environmental education programs to 1st and 2nd grade classrooms in public schools throughout California to help cultivate the next generation of passionate caretakers of the earth. For more information, please visit www.EENG.org.

Bike Smart Seeking Cyclists for School Bicycle Rodeo Events
Come share your passion for bikes with the youth of Santa Cruz County. Ecology Action's Bike Smart Program is seeking enthusiastic cyclists of all abilities to assist with their school bicycle rodeo events, which empowers and engages students through safe cycling education. For more information, please contact Kira Ticus and visit the website.

Find or Upload Projects to Sustainability Project Clearinghouse
Interested in getting involved in a campus sustainability project, but don't know how? Are you looking for partners for your current project? Have you completed a project that you would like others to learn from? Visit the Sustainability Project Clearinghouse, a centralized database of UCSC sustainability projects, today! You can view published projects or upload your own projects and ideas. For training on how to upload a project, please contact Shauna Casey.

Know about other internship, employment, or volunteering opportunities related to sustainability around Santa Cruz or the campus? Post in the comments or send us an email! 

October Campus Sustainability Plan Workshops

Want to participate in creating new goals for the Campus Sustainability Plan? October is the month for topic planning workshops!

What is the Campus Sustainability Plan?
The Campus Sustainability Plan is a document that identifies goals for UCSC to incorporate sustainability into all aspects of campus operations. It represents the campus’s first comprehensive effort to build a cohesive, phased strategy for the future. Individuals from across UCSC’s administrative and academic divisions helped create it. By working together, they helped raise awareness about the challenges and opportunities of creating a more sustainable campus. It's time to revisit this document and develop new goals for the coming years.

Get Involved 
Workshops are being held this month to start drafting goals and objectives for each topic in the new Campus Sustainability Plan for the years 2013-2016! The workshops will consists of all the staff and faculty members of each Topic Working Group, as well as any students who are interested in participating. The Working Groups are eager to include the student voice as much as possible!

If you are interested in participating, here is the information regarding the Topic Planning Workshops scheduled throughout October.

If you would like to attend one (or more), or can even attend for just one hour, please e-mail Elida Erickson and she can give you some more specific information about those topics.

Here is the link to the current Campus Sustainability Plan 2010-2013 if you'd like to familiarize yourself with the document.

CSP Topic Planning Workshop schedule

• Food Systems Working Group: Tues. 10/2, 1pm-4pm, Kerr Hall Room 307
• Procurement & Business Contracts: Tues. 10/9, 1pm-4pm, 2300 Delaware room A275G
• Waste and Recycling: Thurs. 10/18, 1pm-4pm, Chancellor's Conference Room Kerr 212
• Transportation: Tue. 10/23, 1pm-4pm, Kerr Hall Room 61
• Water: Tue. 10/23, 1:30-3:30pm, Barn G, Physical Planning & Construction Conference Room
• Buildings & Facilities: Wed. 10/24, 1pm-4pm, Barn G, Physical Planning & Construction Conference Room
• Energy: Tue. 10/30, 9am-12pm, Barn G, Physical Planning & Construction Conference Room
• Land Habitat & Watershed: Date and Time TBD, Location TBD (likely Kerr Hall)
• Awareness, Education & Engagement: Date and Time TBD, Location TBD (likely Kerr Hall)

City of Capitola Commission on the Environment 2012-2013 Sustainability Panel Series

Fall 2012 Panel:

Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Time: 7-8:30 pm
Where: City of Capitola Council Chambers at City Hall

Photo Credit Click Here: 

With:
Ross Clark, City of Santa Cruz Climate Action Manager
Lacey Raak, University of California Santa Cruz Climate Action Manager
Elizabeth Bertrand-Russell, Associate of Monterey Bay Area Governments

Come engage with local Climate Action leaders in a pre-Halloween primer on local climate action planning where we will answer questions like "what is sustainability?", "what metrics matter?" and "what does it mean for Capitola to be part of the Cool Climate Network?"  Try your hand at easy and fun tools to understand your carbon footprint and the everyday actions you can take to reduce your impact.  Learn about opportunities to engage in Capitola's climate action planning as part of the ongoing City General Plan update process.  Get involved!  Meeting climate action goals for our community requires not only a shared mindset but sustained, collective action.  Therefore this interactive, hands-on event will conclude with participants committing to challenge themselves to specific actions to reduce their carbon footprint.  Refreshments will be served.

Visions for the year from the Sustainability Office Fall Retreat in 2011

As we reflect on past visions we look forward to the following year.

By the end of this year, I will raise and secure a permanent source of funding annually for all the programs that fall underneath the Campus Sustainability office and for future programs.
- Kirsten, Development Coordinator

I will help sustain the Sustainability Office - support its staff & students, secure ongoing funding, and make sure we take time to celebrate! I will ensure strategic planning for sustainability, climate, the office & its student organizations.
- Aurora Winslade, Sustainability Director

Students at Inter-Org Retreat

I would like to assist the Zero Waste Team in making our campus meet the 75% waste diversion by 2012 and help lay the foundation to meet 100% waste diversion by 2020 through education, legislation, & ACTION!
- Devin Jokerst, Zero Waste Team

Zero Waste Team at Earth Summit

This year, I will work hard and pass on sustainable cultures and attitudes to new interns. Go PROPS! Since I am proud to be a part of the S.O., I want other people to be the same!

- Shannon M.

This year FOSO will increase its presence on campus by engaging new students in sustainable behavior.
- Nicole Fiore

I want to become as involved as possible with Green Campus. The main goal I have is to reduce energy use in buildings on campus and reduce waste in the dorms.
- Delia

This year my goal is to make an impact and bring greater awareness of energy efficiency and water conservation to the UCSC campus!
- Ivan Cheung, Green Campus

I dream for students & faculty to have an infinite love & care to maintaining a healthier greener life on campus. I want to see the philosophy of Zero Waste strive & SOAR at UCSC. I hope that students will always feel motivated to pick up trash wherever they go.
- Elizabeth Lin, Zero Waste

I want to see Take Back the Tap succeed in order to reduce waste on campus and educated peers / staff about tap water. While working on this campaign I hope to expand my knowledge on how to successfully implement change on campus / community / states etc.
- Rebecca, Take Back the Tap 

New water bottle Spigot at Mchenry Library

To find direction in the maze of problems revolving around waste. Finding a way to make waste a positive rather than a negative. Establishing long term positive policy changes in the UCSC waste world.
- Anonymous

Have our University as a whole believe and all contribute to a non-impactive way of living.
- Lauren

This year (2011-2012), I would like to have educated others of the importance of helping save energy, water and other resources. Knowledge is the key to action!
- Siara Barber-Crespo, Green Campus

By Spring 2013 I want to increase UCSC’s energy efficiency to the most it has ever been. I want to see 80% of all the buildings outfitted with energy saving light fixtures and/or sensors. I want to accomplish this feat with coordination amongst student, faculty, and other orgs.
- Daniel Glatman, Green Campus

My vision for this year is to be involved in policy making on campus regarding environmental and the United States as a whole. I want to be able to have a voice and make people listen to the problems with our enviornment.
- Nick Martinez, SSITE

This year SSITE will be the collaborative space for new and current student leaders to engage in the movement towards sustainable development.
- Tan Ha

I envision myself creating a project in the sustainability office either through CSI or Climate Action Plan. I also plan to find successful projects through the CSC.
- Camille, Climate Action Plan

By 2012, June, the time I hope to graduate, I will have strengthened the Carbon Fund logistics, the funded projects by this funding body will be effective in reducing GHG, and prepare the committee for continuing in the future.
- Andrea

I want to become more and more involved in campus sustainability and identify in what way I can become involved that I will be most passionate about. This year, I hope to build relationships with students and staff who are part of sustainability efforts on campus and make their jobs easier and help their projects run smoothly.
- Melissa Ott, Internship Coordinator Assistant 

Sustainability Office Open House 

This year I will support students in developing professional & leadership skills in sustainability.
- Shauna

This year, PROPS will become a major campus operation, led by students, to help UCSC be ever more sustainable!
- Shannon M.

This year FoSO will grow to be a thriving and effective student group that not only supports the Sustainability Office goals, but the campus wide sustainability initiatives as well.
- Olivia

This year Take Back the Tap will serve as a model for future behavioral change campaigns in FoSO and campus-wide. This year I will serve as a peer mentor and share my institutional knowledge and leadership training with as many students as possible.
- Gabi Kirk

This year I will have helped the university in reaching its zero waste goals by inspiring and motivating my peers and faculty to make strong positive change.
- Alexis Gomez, Zero Waste

By the end of the year I will have informed the majority of the student body, staff, and faculty about the Carbon Fund. Additionally I will have helped set the groundwork for a long lasting presence of the Carbon Fund at UCSC.
- Elissa, Carbon Fund

Displaying Carbon Fund poster at the End of Year  Celebration

By the end of this year, I want CSI to have a clear & organized binder with all the important documents needed to make the program super easy to start up again next year. I also want CSI to be a strong, engaging & empowering program for students that have a clear goal or objective. In addition to having students make more amazing projects happen.
- Jay Leu, CSI

I hope to have a better understanding of how the efficiency of offices on campus can be improved. I look forward to working with others to find ways to reduce energy consumption. All campus offices will work tightly with the student body & our campus will become a leading example in the field of sustainability.
- Jon

This year I will make sure students within the sustainability office feel confident in the PROPS program and its goals so they can take it to the next level and keep it going while I’m gone.
- Olivia

Energy Upgrade California: Homeowner Workshop at Ecology Action

Later this month, Ecology Action and PG&E will be hosting a FREE energy workshop for homeowners! The program will spotlight the Energy Upgrade California program:

The Energy Upgrade California program provides homeowners an opportunity to improve energy and water efficiency, save money, increase home comfort, help the environment and get up to $4,000 in incentives for making energy-efficiency upgrades to their homes.  The Energy Upgrade California program was created to help reduce energy consumption in California and generate business for local contractors.  

The meeting is slated to cover home energy upgrades, and how they can lower your utility bills, increase your home comfort, protect the environment by saving energy - and maybe even get you some great rebates.

The workshop will be held on Wednesday, October 24th from 6:30-8:30pm at Ecology Action (877 Cedar Street, Suite 240). You can register for the event here. 

Contact Rachel DiFranco with event-related questions (rdifranco@ecoact.org). 

This Way to Sustainability Conference Proposals Now Being Accepted!

This Way to Sustainability Conference presentation proposals are NOW being accepted through October 31!  

To submit: http://www.csuchico.edu/sustainablefuture/conference/proposals.php

The Institute for Sustainable Development at CSU Chico is holding their annual conference, March 7-8, 2013 to provide a forum to discuss current issues that are relevant to everyone, and they are currently accepting presentation proposals. They will address solutions for the global problems we are all now facing.

The conference will include workshops, seminars, posters, and facilitated discussions on these major topics: 

•              Sustainable Lifestyle Solutions

•              Solutions for Food & Agriculture

•              Business & Economic Solutions

•              Energy & Water Solutions

•              Educational Solutions

•              Climate Solutions

•              Speaker's Corner

In addition they are now seeking volunteers for several major positions:

•              Planning Team Members

•              Lead Guru Positions

•              Conference Moderators

•              Media & Outreach

And Much More! Find out more on the website: www.csuchico.edu/sustainablefuture/conference

Annual Bioneers Conference: Catalyzing a Resilient Network

This month, Bioneers will be hosting its 23rd Annual National Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, CA. Featured on Thursday, October 18th will be a pre-conference workshop called "Catalyzing a Resilient Network."

From the workshop homepage:

In the face of the Great Disruption, the key is building resilience, both ecological and social, while making the successful transformation to a sustainable civilization. 

This landmark gathering will feature leading models, strategies and tools for building resilience at the community, local and regional levels, highlighting the opportunity for a Resilient Communities Network nationally and globally.

We’ll present an initial systems mapping “sketch” of Resilient Communities drawn from the “mental models” of diverse thought leaders and doers in the field, designed and synthesized by Scott Spann of Innate Strategies. Collaboratory discussion circles will invite group dialogue. Participants will locate themselves in relevant action-domain nodes on the map and connect with others in that domain. A structured networking lunch will offer further opportunity for focused connection. 

The event will be co-sponsored by The Thriving Resilient Communities Collaboratory and Threshold Foundation.

The workshop will be held from 9:00am-6:00pm in the San Rafael Embassy Suites. You can register to attend on the workshop homepage.

A video by MicroDocumentaries about the Bioneers Conference, based on last year's gathering.